GUWAHATI, Jan 8: It is official that the panchayat poll in Assam is not going to be held by February 15 this year, a tentative deadline fixed by State Election Commissioner (SEC) HN Bora earlier. If anything, the rural poll is likely to be held in the State after HSLC and HS examitions in March- end and before the Rongali Bihu. The SEC is yet to get the nod from Dispur to go ahead with panchayat poll preparations, maybe, because of preoccupation of the government machinery in the NRC work. Most of the State Government officials were busy with NRC work throughout December in 2017. Even as the part draft was published after the mid-night of December 31, 2017, much s still to be done towards that front. HSLC and HS examitions are slated to be over by the end of March. Since panchayat poll is a big electoral process, it needs a huge manpower and a large number of schools and other structures to be used as polling booths. Taking that in view, sources said, the panchayat poll, in all likelihood, will be held after HSLC and HS examitions and before the Rongali Bihu after which there will be monsoon in the State.
